So often we write about the number of international students coming to study in the US, not the least because that number is so massive (1,095,300 last year, including Optional Practical Training placements) and because the US remains world’s leading destination for international students.
But the US is also a major sender of international students. In 2017/18, 341,750 American students studied abroad for academic credit, a 2.7% increase over the previous year, according to the annual Open Doors report, which is published by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with funding from the US Department of State. IIE estimates that more than 10% of US undergraduates (including those in community colleges) and 16% of bachelor degree students go abroad for a part of their programme of study.
Student profile
US students abroad are mostly women. IIE reports more diversity in outbound numbers and that more than half are following STEM or business programmes:
- 67% of US students abroad were women – The Atlantic has an intriguing piece about why this gender disparity might be so;
- 30% of were non-white, compared with 18% in 2007/08;
- 26% were in STEM fields;
- 25% were in business;
- 17% were in social sciences;
- 7% were in foreign languages.
Very few go abroad for a full year:
- 64% were on short-term programmes (i.e., less than a semester abroad);
- 33% were on mid-length programmes (e.g., at least one semester abroad);
- Only 2.3% went overseas for a full academic year.
Top destinations for Americans
The UK is the leading destination for US students but received 1% fewer students in 2017/18 compared to the year before. Number two on the list is Italy, where 4.5% more Americans opted to study in 2017/18. Spain and France, numbers #3 and #4, received 3.8% and 4.4% more students, respectively. Germany saw a small year-over-year decrease (-2.7%) and Ireland saw a 4% increase.
The 2017/18 academic year witnessed China fall behind Ireland in terms of its popularity among American students; there were 2.5% fewer American students in China during that year, possibly in part because of trade tensions between the two countries.
Fastest-growing destinations
Greece saw the largest increase in American students coming to their institutions (+20%), but the Netherlands (+15.4%), Japan (12.4%), Israel (+11.9%), and Argentina (+11.2%) also saw double-digit gains.
Non-credit placements on the rise
The IIE adds that an additional 38,401 American students participated in non-credit internships, volunteering and research abroad in 2017/18 – a significant increase (+66%) from the 23,125 students who went abroad for such placements in the 2015/15 academic year.
